Although it is debatable, popular belief is that excessive consumption of caffeine-rich foods and beverages can reduce blood flow to the uterus and the penis. This can reduce chances of getting pregnant. Besides reducing your intake of the usual suspects like tea and coffee, look out for hidden ones like chocolate, some medicines and colas too.

Does all the caffeine that gets you through the day hurt your chances of conceiving? If you drink enough of it, the answer is yes. According to studies, women who consume high amounts of caffeine daily take longer, on average, to get pregnant than women with low or no consumption.

How Much Is Too Much
What exactly constitutes a “high amount? Anything over 300 milligrams per day, which is the equivalent to about two 8-ounce cups of drip-brewed coffee, four 8-ounce cups of tea (hot or iced), nine caffeinated sodas, or 15 ounces of dark chocolate.

The bottom line is that for your best chance of conceiving quickly, it’s best to reduce or eliminate caffeine consumption. Remember to count all of your caffeine sources when figuring out how much you need to cut back.

Cutting Back On Caffeine

• Eat a protein-rich breakfast in the morning to maintain energy throughout the day.
• Buy cans of carbonated, flavored water. Whenever the urge to have a soda hits, pop open a can of carbonated water. At least you get to hear that “pop” sound and have the fizzy mouth feel!
• Although chocolate has caffeine, it is much less than what’s in coffee, so try drinking a hot chocolate instead of a coffee-based drink.
• Put more milk in your coffee so that the same amount of coffee stretches out to two cups. (Plus you get the added calcium from the milk!)
• Because caffeine stays in your body for several hours, drinking caffeine in the afternoon or evening can disturb your sleep, leaving you wanting even more caffeine the next morning. Break the cycle by eliminating late-day caffeine first.
• Go slow—reducing caffeine intake too quickly can cause withdrawal symptoms like headache, nervousness, restlessness, and fatigue.
• Don’t beat yourself up. Stress caused by unreachable goals or overly tight restrictions may be just as harmful to your well-being as a cup of coffee!

It may help to keep the goal in mind—a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. Cutting back in the preconception period will help you when you do become pregnant.